Stay--A Dacey Fic
by monkeybunfreg
Summary: It's been months since Regina's murder and things are beginning to die down. Danny and Lacey seem to be seeing more of each other. Inspired by Rihanna's "Stay"
1. Chapter 1

Danny walked into the library, ready to get his history grade in order. After failing his last test, his teacher kindly referred him to the principal for being distracted and suspicious. Being the school socio had one perk, the principal was cool and had his door always open. Out of everyone he seemed to understand or at least he was good at pretending to.

He sat down at the first table he saw and opened up his books. He looked up and saw everyone staring, everyone but her. Lacey was flipping through pages of her chemistry book, groaning here and there and writing notes down. It wasn't until one of her friends had whispered something to her that her eyes shot up. She sighed and continued to work, more frantically than before.

Danny smiled. Even when they were eleven she was a braniac. She loved maths and science. Completely forgetting about his own work, he stood up and walked over to her.

"Do you need help? You look a little…stressed." He said. Lacey looked up and scoffed.

"Like you coming over here is helping me."

Danny sat down.

"Well, we'll just have to find out. What are you working on?"

"Chemistry." Lacey answered. She knew everyone was watching, but she just couldn't get this chemistry homework and Danny always knew how to make sense of things.

"Oh, mols. These are easy. Here." Danny took the pencil out of her hand showed her formulas.

"So you just multiply iT by Abiyoyo's law?"

Danny chuckled lightly.

"Avogadro's law, but yeah, basically."

"You always knew how to explain things."

"I'm surprised you're struggling with it. You were always a science geek."

"Things have changed." Lacey closed the book and sighed. Danny could tell she meant more than just science. He missed her too and he was about to say so until…

"What the hell is he doing here!" Archie yelled, he put his arm out to grab Danny ,but Danny ducked it and stood up.

"I thought I'd help her with her homework." Danny said. He ran his fingers through his long dark hair and smiled. Archie wasn't intimidating, just full of himself ...and protein shakes.

"Get the hell away from her." Archie said. He put his fist out beneath Danny's chin. "You may have everyone else he scared of you, Socio, but not me. You want to know why?"

"Please enlighten me, oh wise one."

"Because I see right through you and guess what, I can take you."

"Okay." Danny backed away and patted Archie on the back. "Cool it, Ghandi. I have history to do and clearly you have weights to lift. Bye, Lacey."

Lacey frowned and lifted her hand goodbye. Danny walked off, grabbing his books on the way out.

The next morning, Danny walked into Chem help, as "suggested" by his mother. 'You can't bring unwanted attention to yourself', she'd said. The thing was, there was always unwanted attention. If anything, he'd see Lacey and continue their conversation.

Danny sat down and opened his books, skimming through the pages and then re reading them, to pass the time. He stared at the clock wondering if she'd ever come.

"I should file a complaint against you for stalking." Lacey said. Danny looked up and smiled. He pulled out the chair beside him.

"You wouldn't be the first one. The whole town seems to think I'm stalking them."

Lacey put her books on the table and began studying. Danny watched her carefully. Everything about her was beautiful, the way she frowned, the way she would tuck her hair behind her ear then untuck it so it would look better, even the way she breathed.

"Shouldn't you be studying."Lacey said. She blinked

"What's to say that I'm not."

"Um the fact that you keep staring at me." she said.

"I can't help it."

"Well try to, we have a test today. Wait, why are you here anyway? Aren't you good at science?"

"Yeah, well it makes a better impression to my teachers that I'm focusing on my work and not on murdering them."

"Why do you joke about that so much."

Danny saw the hurt in Lacey's face. He didn't realize how much it still affected her.

"No one seems to want to."

"Would you blame them."

Danny shrugged and returned to his books. They sat in silence, neither of them studying, until the bell rang.


	2. Chapter 2

"Socio!" Micky called. Micky was not a very popular girl at school, but she always had access to booze, so people made her feel as if she mattered to them. Danny looked towards the call, regretting doing so the second he did.

"I've seriously got to stop answering to that." he said with a smile. Micky pranced over to him.

"I wanted to invite you to my party." Micky said. Danny sighed. Thinking he was unconvinced, Micky blurted out "Everyone will be there! And don't worry it's been months since the Regina thing, people are actually starting to think you're cool. I should know, I'm popular."

Danny smiled. He had heard what people thought about Micky, he felt sorry for her. "I'll think about it."

But he didn't think about it, until he overheard one of Lacey's friend mentioning that Archie wouldn't be at the party but Lacey would be. So he went.

And oh what a party it was. Not only was Micky a ticket to getting alcohol, she was rich, which meant a huge house for outlandish parties. As Danny walked up the driveway, he wondered how the police weren't there already.

Danny quickly began to search for Lacey. He ignored the stares and whispers and some taunting, remaining focused on finding her. When he did, he was glad to see she was alone. She looked up and saw him as he walked towards her.

"Well look what the cat dragged in." She said loudly. She stood up and then sat back down, very abruptly. Danny noticed the red solo cup in her hand and how her eyes weren't focusing on anything. Just floating like the bubbles in her drink.

"Lacey Porter, have you been drinking?" he said, coyly. Lacey rolled her eyes.

"Why should you care?" she said. Danny reached for her cup but she snapped her hand back. "Go away. People are looking."

"I don't care what people think but I do care about you." Lacey looked up and met his eyes. She saw the truth in him, which made her feel vulnerable and she hated that.

"I need some air." She said, forcing herself to break from their connection.

Danny walked closely behind Lacey as she led them outside. They settled by a set of swings. Surprisingly there was no one near the swings, only a few people passing by from time to time, drunkenly laughing and shouting.

"I still can't believe you're back." Lacey confessed. Danny settled on a swing and motioned for to sit on the swing by him. "I remember that day so well. I just knew I'd never see you again. That made me sad."

Lacey kept her eyes on the grass, moving with the night breeze.

"I thought I'd never see you and Jo either. It scared me, you know. Never being able to see my best friends again." Danny thought about what he was going to say next.

"Really? You faced icarceration and a possible record, not to mention the label of a sociopath following you your entire life, but you were afraid about losing us?."

"Yes." Danny whispered. Lacey nodded and they swung slowly a bit.

"Danny."

"Yes."

"I do forgive you."

"You do?"

"Yes. I know I act like I don't, but these past few months, you being here. It's been therapeutic, oddly. It's just with everything." Lacey sighed deeply, angry she couldn't make the words sound right. "It's just-"

"I know. It's hard." Danny interrupted.

"No, let me finish." Lacey stood up. Danny did the same. Lacey continued. "You were my best friend. I trusted you. And things can't be the way they were when we were kids."

"I don't want them to be." Danny started. "I don't want to just be your best friend. I want, I want..."

"I know. But I'm with Archie." Danny scoffed. "I know you can't see it but he's a nice guy and he was there for me when no one else was and-"

Danny cut Lacey off with a kiss. He pressed his lips to hers, softly but eagerly. He grabbed her wrists, gently, pulling her to him. Lacey didn't pull away.

"Too much talking." He whispered when he pulled away, slowly so he could remeber the taste of her, the sweet scent of her perfume, the softeness of lips and the tenderness in her disposition.

"Danny..."

"I like you, no, I love you. I'm not afraid of that. Why are you?"

"Because."

"Because of them?" Danny looked at the house thumping with house music. Lacey looked down. "You don't need them."

"I won't be alienated, again."

"I'm not asking you to."

"Aren't you though? Danny I love you but, you wanting to alienate me from the people who accept me, that doesn't feel like love to me."

Danny beamed at the sounds of those three words 'i love you' come from Lacey's lips. Danny laughed. "They don't accept you, Lace. Not the real you. Me and Jo. We know you."

"I'm not 10 anymore Danny!" Lacey shouted. Her head was so full of fog, she didn't know what to believe but the words felt right. "We can't pick up where we left off. Things have changed! The sooner you and Jo realize that, the better we'll all be."

Lacey stormed off, angry at herself for being drunk, and went inside the house. Danny sat on the swing, shaking his head.

She loved him but she just didn't know how much yet. Danny sighed and looked up at the stars. She loved him. That's all that mattered...for now.


	3. Chapter 3

That Monday morning, Jo called Danny early. So early, Danny flew out of bed. He groaned when he heard her voice.

"You realize that it's," Danny checked his alarm, "5 in the morning. I was counting on another two hours of beauty sleep."

"I'm sure you'll recover." Jo said, dismissing his complaint. "Listen, stay home from school today."

"Why would I do that?" Danny began to wake up and turned on the lights. Suddenly, the urge to pee came and with it came fidgeting.

"You were with Lacey last Friday night."

"And?" Danny paced around the room, hoping to make the conversation short. Though he liked Jo, over the past few months he was starting to get the idea that she liked him. He didn't want to lose her as a friend and he hated avoiding her when it felt like she was becoming clingy, but Danny hadn't figured out what to do yet.

"And," Jo began annoyed, "You guys kissed and guess who saw you!"

Danny stopped abruptly. "People know." Danny whispered.

"Yes, they know!" Jo shouted. "I know. Rico knows. Even my dad knows. The whole town probably knows."

Danny stayed silent. Jo sighed on the phone and continued. "Danny, Archie will try to kill you and no one will be in his way when he does."

Danny stayed quiet. Jo spoke his name several times but he didn't answer so she hung up.

It was out that they had kissed. It was out for everyone to know. The exhilaration of it all was terrifying and yet so exciting Danny became paralyzed. Everyone knew he loved her. Things would go on the right path, if he played his cards right.

"Good morning, lover boy." Karen said and took a sip of coffee. She stood by island counter next to two plates of eggs and tofu.

"I take it one of those is for me?" Danny looked around, "Unless you had a sleepover last night."

Karen squinted her eyes at her son and smiled. She put the mug down and walked around the counter to him.

"You can talk to me, Danny." she said. Karen made sure to look her son in the eye. "I know things have been rough for you at school and I don't make it any better for you, I'm sure, but I'm here. Whenever you need me, I'm here. And if you want to talk about girls or se-"

"Woah!" Danny took a step back. "I've tried to make it clear to you that I don't need or want your help. I can handle my own business."

Karen looked down for a moment and then lifted her eyes to her son. She put her hand on his shoulder and turned away. "Have a nice day at school then, Danny."

Danny Desai took an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter. "And to you too, mother." He said and went to school.

The walk into Green Grove High was a tense one. Tenser than his first day. Unlike the first day, when no one basically knew him and didn't know what to expect, this day everyone knew him. Now that spring was in, he was not only a familiar face, but the most familiar. As he walked into the main hallway, he could fill the stiff air surrounding him. Everyone glared at him like vultures circling around a weak rabbit waiting for the wolf to kill so they could eat away at the remnants of him.

And the wolf made his presence swiftly, once the double hallway doors closed.

"Freak." Archie said.

"Former teammate and I'd like to think a friend." Danny said. He put his hand on his chest in solidarity and smiled.

"I'm going to kill you."

"Well then there be two murderers in the room. How uncomfortable would that be?"

Archie smiled. He put his hand in his pockets and looked Danny straight in the eye. Everyone was watching. Danny's eyes looked for Lacey but he couldn't find her in all the faces. Archie caught on to this.

"If you're looking for Lacey, she's at home. Resting." Archie said. "Being taken advantage of by the town sociopath when she was so vulnerable was a little traumatic for her. Much like the trauma I'll inflict on you. See, cuz I warned you, Socio. I told you, I said, 'stay away from her'. But you couldn't, could you." Archie walked closer to Danny. "You just had to flirt and impose your tiny, little, manipulative, egocentric, asine self here. Where we all felt safe. But I'll make it easier for you and for all of us. I'm going to give you a choice. And I've thought a lot about this, when I could have easily just pumbled your face in the second you walked through those doors."

"How gracious of you." Danny said.

"Shut up. You_ don't_ speak! You listen." Archie stopped for a minute, as if to recuperate himself. "You can walk out now and never come back or you could stay, and after school come find me in the parking lot for a real fight. No teachers, no parents, nothin'."

Archie's face was now right in front of Danny's. Danny could feel Archie's breath heaving blows of sausage and egg english muffin on his face. Danny closed his eyes for a minute then cocked his head to the side as if determining what to do. He opened them and looked around the room. He could see teachers around watching, this made him laugh. He truly had no allies in all of this. The students stared on with the teachers and he was sure that the principle was somewhere in the crowd. Everyone was on Archie's side. Danny began to laugh.

"What's so funny, Psycho." one of the students said, probably one of Archie's friend,

"Oh I'm a Psycho now?" Danny said. He laughed and then stopped abruptly. "Fine, I'll see you after school. Hope you'll be ready by then because I guarantee you aren't ready now."

"We'll see about that."

Archie spit on Danny's shoes and walked off. Saved by the bell, Danny watched students and teachers walk off into the directions they needed to go for first period. Jo ran in as people walked about.

"Rico had me locked in a closet. He didn't want me to say something to make the situation worse. How bad was it?" Jo asked. She walked closely by Danny and stopped when he arrived at his locker. Rico shook his head in the background and walked to class, his head down.

"Not that bad actually. We'll be fighting after school."

"What? He'll kill you."

Danny shrugged and took out his Psych book. "If anything, he'll break my nose. But that's not as bad as you'd think."

"Danny. Don't do this."

"I have to."

"Why? Because of Lacey?" Jo yelled. She was glad there wasn't anyone in the hallway then because tears began to well. "Danny, she's not even here. She couldn't even own up to the fact that she kissed you. S he's a coward and a bitch. How could you even trust her?"

"I love her. And she loves me. And no one can see that. Yet. But they will. She'll turn around. I can feel it. When I kissed her-"

"_You_ kissed her?" Jo's voice cracked.

"Yeah." Danny shook off the question. "Jo-"

"You know what, I can't do this anymore! I've put my ass on the line for you! I've practically killed myself for you! And you don't even see it." Jo said. She wiped the tears off her face. Danny could see the pure pain her eyes. "Fuck you, Danny."

He watched her walk away, broken like the frail porcelain she was. He wanted to go after her, but what he would have said would not have been what she would have wanted to hear. Now, it was time to be late for Psychology.


End file.
